Birdhaven Greenhouse

So it’s been a hot minute since I blogged. Life has just gotten busy and we have had a pandemic and a whole mess of stuff has happened. But I wanted to get some photos up on the blog to showcase a few favorite weddings! First up Birdhaven Greenhouse in Joliet, IL. Birdhaven is a park district location and it is so beautiful. I love all the greenery and florals but the indoor greenhouse is also gorgeous! I love that you have a backup spot indoors since Illinois weather doesn’t always play fair….I say on a 50+ sunny February day. :)

Allison & Nick had a gorgeous outdoor wedding! They had a first look by the waterfall and some photos with their crew around the park.

So when we have a first look and take photos before the ceremony, I try to get the immediate family does as well. Then you have more time in cocktail hour and the family can also enjoy the cocktail hour. Plus the family is usually dressed and ready to go early anyway. So if the ceremony is at 5, we would do immediate family (parents, siblings + spouses +children) and sometimes grandparents if they are available. While I keep this time very organized, I also don’t want to skip photos from this time. You will love having all these photos in the long run, even though no one want to stand around and take photos for-ev-ver. I would say on average, it takes me 20 minutes.

Since their family pictures were simple, I was able to capture a few more of the bride and groom with the sun coming in perfectly. The light is best as the sun sets but often with a first look, we shoot during the brightest part of the day. So it’s nice to have a few moments extra to get the sun coming through the trees. Having the ceremony and reception and photo location all in one spot is so nice for the timeline!

Now on to the ceremony. The groom’s mother is deaf and they had a sign language interpreter there and it was so fun to watch her sign!

After the ceremony, we will do the last of the family pictures. This also doesn’t take a long time (I usually plan for 10-15 minutes) but it is key to make sure the family knows to stay put. We will take some nice, everyone look at the camera ones, and then I try to do some more candid fun ones too. Then off to the reception…..

While the reception area isn’t the fanciest of spots, I think some candles and some twinkle lights can make it feel so nice. Plus having a smaller area makes it feel more intimate and gives everyone a chance to chat.

Not every wedding is a dancing/party time type crowd and that’s ok. But we try to still get some fun pictures of everyone dancing and smiling and having fun. These aren’t photos that you will probably frame but trust me when I say in the years to come, its so nice to remember all the smiling faces from your celebration!